


Listen, He Does It Better When He Sleeps

by spindleofwords



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Gen, Jimmy is an idiot, Slash if you squint, and has two people that love him anyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-09
Updated: 2013-01-09
Packaged: 2017-11-24 05:51:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/631140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spindleofwords/pseuds/spindleofwords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The captain is proficient in many things, but there are some that elude his grasp and always have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Listen, He Does It Better When He Sleeps

"Ow! Quit with the hypos, alr'dy, Bones, I'm gonna develop a permanent hole in my neck."

"I highly doubt that possibility, Captain."

"Stop complaining, Jim, you wouldn't need so many if you would just stay put and do what I tell you to."

"What, sit in my quarters and become a vegetable?"

"I fail to see how restricting your access to other sections of the ship will cause you to begin transmogrifying into a non seeded edible plant."

"Hmph. At least vegetables are good for you, Jimmy."

Dr. Leonard McCoy, known as Bones to the crew of the Enterprise, nodded briefly at the tricorder he was holding in his left hand as the radiation levels in his Captain's blood went down accordingly.

The blond man sitting in front of him on the biobed was wearing a jaunty smile, to be sure, but even as he exuded a cocky air, his body bore physical signs of fatigue, the bright blue eyes dull and normally stable body suffering from finite tremors...not to mention the bandages that crisscrossed over his entire torso and around the right shoulder.

Next to him, Commander Spock, known simply as Spock, stood tall and straight, managing to convey a hint of exasperation despite his blank expression.

"Bones, really, I feel fine now, can't I at least go check on my ship? Spock, tell him to let me go."

Spock's eyebrow hitched even higher as he straightened more and seemed to look down at James with disapproval.

"I do not think that is the correct course of action at this time, Cap—"

Smiling like he had all the time and energy in the world, the brunette man leaned back on his pillows lazily and waved a hand dismissively at Spock, snorting, "Oh, shove your Captain— how many times have I told you to call me Jim?"

Or that's what he tried to say, anyway, before the sedative hypo that Bones had just hit him with took effect and made things go fuzzy. Jim started to sway in his seat as the doctor turned his back to the captain and checked his readings, admonishing, "Just take a damn break for once, Jim. I gave you the sedative for a reason; don't you dare fight it off. Go to fucking sleep."

Bones heard a snort behind him and muttering that sounded suspiciously like, "honey, I'm tryin', the mean doctor won't let me," before a soft thump signaled the captain's departure. The doctor turned back from the biobed readings as the heart monitor slowed, and stood over Jim for a moment, his eyes softening. Spock stood next to the other man, feeling oddly sobered by the sight of the man laying in bed before him, golden yellow against the pale white sheets. The Vulcan found his gaze held by the slow, soft rise of the captain's chest as he breathed in and out and only in this space allowed himself to remember that when the accident had happened he was eighty three point two five six percent sure he would never see his captain breathe again. Eyes still caught by Jim's prone form, Spock remarked softly, "The captain's weakened state will be greatly helped by a forced unconsciousness so that his metabolic processes can better assist in healing his extensive wounds."

"I know, y'damn hobgoblin, that's why I did it."

Bones sank wearily into the chair next to the bed, and put his head in his hands. Looking at Jim for a long moment, Bones brushed a curl out of the captain's face and remarked to no one in particular, "He looks like a kid when he's asleep."

"Doctor? I do not understand—"

Standing behind the doctor, Spock nearly missed the quiet sigh that escaped Bones as the doctor closed his eyes and bowed his head once more.

"He's so young, Spock. He's too young for this, sometimes."

It took Spock a moment to process what the medical officer could mean by his statement, but after considering the implications and his own age versus his captain's, Spock nodded, "…You are correct, Doctor. The captain does bear some semblance to an adolescent human when he rests."

The first officer's expression did not change, as neither did the tone of his voice; if it was somewhat lower pitched and softer than usual, than that was out of logic. If the captain was finally asleep after many efforts on the part of the doctor, it would be illogical and in bad manners to wake the patient up. Even as Spock thought this, the doctor chided gently, "Don't know why you won't just listen to me once and stay on your ship, Jimmy. Easier on all of us, I think, except for you."

Puzzled, the sable haired humanoid questioned, "What do you hope to achieve by talking to the captain in his unconscious state?"

Bones gave a very drained chuckle and got up, walking past Spock. He stopped next to him, his face grave, clapping a hand on the Vulcan's shoulder. That hand on his shoulder, those thoughts, aimed at him, _if you can't feel it on your own even though I know you can, take some of mine; between the two of us, we worry enough. He never has to hear me, when I talk to him asleep like that, but…_

"That's the only way he listens, Spock."

As the doctor walked out of the cell in Sickbay and the door whooshed shut behind him, Spock considered the doctor's idea and concluded that, with all the other incredulous things he knew to be true about James T. Kirk, it could be indeed a true statement about his captain's listening skills.  
________________________________________  
Doctor Leonard McCoy came back to check on his most frequent patient and found a half Vulcan sitting next his captain's bed, talking to him softly in a near whisper with a tone of voice that betrayed a hint of anger.

"And…Jim. It would be prudent for you to…it would be best if…I profess that the choice that I find most favorable during the next away patrol is to let me be injured and spare yourself. As a Vulcan, the pain is not as intense as it might be for a human."

And then Spock picked up Jim's hand and held it, rubbing his thumb over the top of his palm.

"Do not worry me so, Jim."

The good doctor thought it wise to make a few more rounds of his other patients before coming back to check on the captain.


End file.
